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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Apple Tart

***NOTE***

So I definitely cheated and took out “peach” and inserted “apple” in this post…that’s how simple and elegant this recipe is…just change out the fruit for the season and voila! Try it with pears too! {see peach tart}

Slightly rustic and simply elegant, this easy dessert is a mainstay in this Farmer’s kitchen! The complement of basic ingredients with pretty fruit is what makes this dish so elegant. Peaches in the summer, apples or pears in the fall, pecans in winter, and strawberries in spring, the dough for this tart is quite versatile.

Just shy of true pie crust dough, this tart dough is a perfect blend of the slightly sweet with just enough puff and flake. North Georgia and North Carolina apples are the piece de resistance for this lovely dessert, and a glaze of apple or pear preserves adds a beautiful sheen to the tart and makes the perfect dollop for serving.

Fresh from the orchard apples are wonderful just about any way you slice them. For this dessert, I leave the skin on, which helps hold the shape of the apple wedges. Arranging from a center floret of apple slices and concentrically ringing the dough with the fruit is beautiful if you roll the dough into a circle. If you roll your dough into a more rectangular shape, lines of apple slices make for a great presentation as well.

With such wonderful access to autumnal produce, I’m constantly trying different recipes from this season’s bounty. Apple crisps, cobbler, cakes, and applesauce….so many wonderful things to do with apples…this apple tart being a favorite of mine. The dough and simplicity of the fruit is so good, and the glaze of preserves or jam dresses up the dish and adds a dose of sweetness to the tart apples if you use a tart selection. Such a compellation of basic flavors and ingredients is always a winner.

Gather your garden goodness or the freshest fruits from the farmer’s market and make a peach, or plum, or apple or pear tart as homage to the season. Store this recipe for tart dough in a handy place, for it can be used throughout each season and throughout the year. From the orchards of North Georgia and North Carolina as well as this Farmer’s kitchen, I hope this apple tart becomes a favorite of yours!

Tart Dough2 cups of all purpose flour½ tsp of salt1 tbsp of sugar1 ½ sticks of butter½ cup of ice water

Combine the dry ingredients with your fingers in a large mixing bowl. If using a food processor, then just pulse to mix.

Slice the cold butter into cubes and mix with hand mixer or pulse in food processor until the dough begins to clump into a ball and the butter is pea size or smaller.

Pour the ice water into the mixture, slowly, continue mixing simultaneously until ball of dough is formed.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large “pat” and chill for about an hour.

After chilling, roll or spread out the dough into your desired shape…the rustic feel of an imperfect circle or rectangle is what makes the simple elegance of this dessert so pretty.

Slice 3-4 apples into wedges and arrange on the dough to suit your own fashion. Sprinkle with cinnamon, nuts, and sugar, about half a cup of each, depending on the sweetness of the fruit and your own sweet tooth as well.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until the dough is golden brown… Glaze with pear or apple jam or preserves and serve with a dollop of preserves as well. Whipped cream ain’t bad either!

2 comments:

You know, I keep saving these posts as "unread" in my reader, either for the recipes, the arrangements, the photographs,or something else that catches my eye. They are really starting to pile up and the ideas would be so much easier to refer to in book form separated by seasons...here's hoping...